Here And Now
by MrFoshizzlePro
Summary: A brief look into the untold days of Kenshin and Kaoru's lives. A series of one-shots, prompt-fills, drabbles, requests, etc.
1. One-shot — Repairs

**Here And Now**

by: MrFoshizzlePro

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is owned by Nobuhiro Watsuki's wonderful mind. I do not own anything except for the idea that shaped this story.

Kaoru raced excitedly back to the Kamiya dojo as fast as her legs were able to carry her. She was exploding with more delight than she thought possible, and the wide smile and shining dark blue eyes showed the tremendous ecstasy within on the verge of bursting.

_I can't believe it! _She thought. _The Kamiya dojo will be back on its feet in no time at all!_

Upon opening the gate, Kaoru saw Kenshin gathering planks of wood and various tools into slim arms. He hadn't seemed to notice her, for he was prepared to walk away until he overheard her asking, "Huh? What are you doing with those?"

The red head turned to face her, his violet irises wide but his smile genuine as he recognized the speaker almost instantaneously. "Oh. Hello, Kaoru-dono! You appear to be awfully happy about something, that you do. Did something exciting happen on your way to town?"

The young kenjutsu instructor forgot her question for the time being, squealing in response and wrapping her arms tightly around Kenshin's neck, ignoring the bulge of his eyes and the exclaimed, "Oro!" that was forced from his windpipes.

"I can finally get this place up and running again!" Kaoru chirped. "Soon, the false Battousai fiasco will be put to an end, and the Kamiya dojo's reputation will be saved! My students will be able to come back!"

"That's... very good news... Kaoru-dono..." He managed to choke out before her arms constricted his throat again in another joyful hug.

"I've never felt happier in all my life," she murmured into his ear, resting her chin on his shoulder. "And it's all thanks to you, Kenshin."

Kenshin cocked his head in an attempt to see her face, failing to do so but breathing a sigh through upturned lips. "This unworthy one is glad that he has helped the Kamiya School regain its honor, that I am."

He didn't need to look at her face to know he had made her smile; the thought alone was all he needed to move along with his day.

As Kaoru hurried inside the house to cook a celebratory meal (she had decided it was an event worth celebrating), the red head went in the opposite direction toward the training hall, adjusting the wood and tools in a more comfortable position to make them easier to carry.

"I suppose I should be putting myself to use," he said to himself. "After all, with Kaoru-dono so happy, I don't believe dealing with such a chore as this will lighten her mood."

* * *

"Kenshin, lunch is ready!" Kaoru looked around expectantly for the rurouni to appear, but after a moment longer of standing and waiting she began to wonder. She had called out to him more than once and received no word back in return. Her hands squeezed together above her chest as she bit her lip contemplatively.

_Where is he? _

Then, as if on cue, Kaoru recalled seeing Kenshin carrying a bundle of wood and tools prior to her burst through the gate. In her haste to explain her good news to him, she had forgotten to question him about the objects in his possession. Quickly, she made a run for the training hall, calling his name all the while.

* * *

"Kenshin!"

"Oro?"

Rising into a sitting position, Kenshin gazed out behind himself to see what all the commotion was about. He wiped away any signs of sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his gi, craning his neck to get a better view of the courtyard. Kaoru came into his line of sight almost immediately. She was racing toward the training hall and shouting his name whenever she gained enough air in her lungs to do so.

Kenshin turned and stood to face her nearing figure. Suddenly, Kaoru was running faster than he'd ever seen her run before. He sweat dropped, squeaking, "Kaoru-dono?"

"Kenshin, there you are!" She exclaimed upon her hasty entry. "I was looking all over for you. Lunch is ready..." Her voice trailed off as she glanced at the floor. Kenshin, peering over his shoulder, smiled and said, "Ah, so it seems you've noticed what this unworthy one has been up to all morning, that you have."

Kaoru stared back at the red head in awkward silence, astounded. "You did all this by yourself?"

He nodded sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, it's not finished yet," he replied. "There's still a lot that needs to be done before the floor is completely fixed. I'm still not even halfway through. Gohei's body combined with my Hiten Mitsurugi seems to have damaged the floor more than I originally thought."

Kaoru carefully moved toward the gaping hole, kneeling down by the edge to get a better look. A few planks of wood covered a small section of the cavity, but a large portion of it had not yet been dealt with. A hammer and stray nails lay to the farther side of the wreckage well within reach in case they were needed. Picking up the hammer, she twisted around to flash Kenshin a brief smile and asked, "After lunch is over, how about we work on finishing this together?"

A fleeting bout of hesitation passed over his face before vanishing in the wake of his smile. "Alright," he agreed, placing a hand over her shoulder. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have a little help. Two heads are better than one, after all."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Whew. This took a lot of time to type out considering I'm not generally a fast typer like MrFoshizzlePro. Sorry. I probably should introduce myself to avoid confusion. I'm a friend of MrFoshizzlePro's merely here to upload this fanfic to his account as he instructed me to. He hasn't had the strength lately to type so he gave me a notebook filled with rough sketches of what he'd like to type out and asked me to do it for him. So, here I am only performing a small task for my best friend. I'd suspect he'd like to hear your thoughts on the story, so don't be shy! He'd really appreciate reading through them once he's fully recovered. Thanks for sparing some time to look into it! I don't know whether or not this should be continued or not, but I think he's leaving it up to you guys to decide.


	2. Drabble — Sheer Honesty

**Here And Now**

by: MrFoshizzlePro

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is owned by Nobuhiro Watsuki's wonderful mind. I do not own anything except for the idea that shaped this story.

"Oro? Kaoru-dono, I never knew you cooked."

"Yep!" She chirped happily, placing a plate piled high with onigiri on the table. "I learned from my father when I was little. He taught me practically everything I know. Considering the fact that I've grown up around boys my entire life, he thought it was best for me to at least learn a few basics about cooking in case I wanted to settle down and raise a family of my own someday."

"Ah," Kenshin murmured. _She never had a mother, then. That explains why she has taken up swordsmanship..._

The melody of songbirds rang through the treetops as the cool March sun glimmered brightly in the sky. He absentmindedly began observing the outside world through the opened shoji, imagining what life must have been like for Kaoru after her father's passing.

"It must have been very lonely indeed for someone as young as Kaoru-dono..." He mused aloud.

"What must've been lonely?" Kaoru inquired, taking a seat at the end of the table, her eyes fixed on the rurouni as if urging him to continue.

Kenshin shook his head. "Nothing," he said. "This unworthy one was only thinking, that I was."

"Hm." Kaoru reached across the table and grabbed a rice ball from the plate, saying, "If there's anything on your mind that you'd like to get off your chest, don't be afraid to let me know. You don't have to explain your thoughts to me. I just wanted you to know that I'm always willing to listen if you need to talk." She blushed profusely shortly after finishing, taking a bite of onigiri to distract herself from the hidden meaning implied in her words.

Nevertheless, Kenshin's lips curved up in contentment. "Thank you for your concern, Kaoru-dono." He glanced back to the tabletop, remembering the plate of onigiri she'd set out. He followed suit and took a ball of rice from the middle of the pile.

Before he was able to bite into it, Kaoru's voice broke him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see her fidgeting nervously in her seat, eyes glued to the floor. Softly, she muttered, "I have to confess that I'm not the best cook in the world. You might end up hating my food once you eat enough of it..."

Kenshin lowered his hand from his mouth. A reassuring smile splayed across his gentle face. He replied, "This unworthy one has tasted his fair share of bad food, that I have. But I am certain your food will taste wonderful!"

Without waiting for a response, he brought the burnt onigiri to his mouth and bit off a large fraction of the rice ball. Kaoru quietly bit her lip, anxious. It took all he had to swallow the foul crisp ball down his throat while ignoring the urge to vomit. As he composed himself, he breathed a sigh and met her gaze.

"This is very good, Kaoru-dono!" He commented.

Kaoru blinked, baffled beyond belief. "You like it?"

Kenshin nodded rapidly, "Indeed I do." Then, politely, he added, "But I do have one bit of advice."

Curious, she leaned forward as if to capture every last word before it would disappear into oblivion. "And that's?"

"Try not to cook the rice for too long next time. It leaves quite an unpleasant aftertaste; something along the lines of burnt fish, I believe."

"Kenshin..."

"Oro?"

"...you _JERK!_"

"_OROOOOO!"_

* * *

**Author's Note: **I'm guessing this short drabble was MrFoshizzlePro's view of what tasting Kaoru's food for the first time was like for Kenshin. Poor guy. My guess is he got a horrible pummeling after saying that to her face.

Well, as promised, here's another piece to add to the series I suppose. Still not entirely sure if anyone wants to request anything to be written for this series, but my friend said if you want, you're more than welcome to give an idea or two for the next one-shot, drabble, etc. So long as it follows the canon storyline, it's alright. And thanks for your kind reviews! I'm sure MrFoshizzlePro will be happy to read them once he's up to it. Well, I'm off now. My bed is calling and it's almost 12 in the morning here (have school tomorrow. Yikes!) Thanks a lot for sparing your time to check into this! Really, it means a lot to both me and MrFoshizzlePro that you're taking an interest in his more recent works.


	3. Prompt-fill — Wondrous Moment

**Here And Now**

by: MrFoshizzlePro

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is owned by Nobuhiro Watsuki's wonderful mind. I do not own anything except for the idea that shaped this story.

He feels at ease in her presence.

She feels safest in his arms.

He wonders what more happiness life can give him.

She wonders what ways to prove him wrong.

He smiles softly when he realizes the surprise that awaits his flexing palm.

She smiles fondly as he stumbles upon his gift.

He embraces her in a hug, overwhelmed with emotion.

She embraces him warmly in return, stroking his back with tears forming in her eyes.

* * *

**Author's Note: **This was pretty short, but I like how he wrote it. Hopefully the message he's trying to convey without saying it straight-forward made it across in some way to avoid any confusion. Thanks again for the awesome reviews guys! MrFoshizzlePro will really appreciate reading every last one. As for some good news, I finally have a chance to see him tomorrow :) I'll be sure to inform everyone how the visit goes. Thanks for checking in!


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